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If you talk to most writers, there is one things they almost all universally hate: marketing. Most writers dislike the thought of promoting themselves or going through all the technical hoops they think they need in order to market well.

Do you share this viewpoint as well? Do you hate marketing? If so, it’s no wonder because almost all of our firsthand experience with marketing tells us it’s distasteful.

For example, you’ve seen the author who has an obnoxious book launch. They post multiple times a day on social media about their book. For weeks on end, they try to get other people to buy and promote their book. The whole endeavor seems completely one-sided. The author is only interested in what you can do for them.

But what if this approach was all wrong? What if we turned the concept of marketing completely on its head and made it all about other people?

What if good marketing was actually … the kindest and most thoughtful thing we could possibly do for our readers?

Derek Sivers is the founder of CD Baby, and the author of the new book, Your Music and Your People. The book is essential reading not just for musicians, but for anyone doing creative work. He writes, “Marketing just means being considerate. Marketing means making it easy for people to notice you, relate to you, remember you, and tell their friends about you. Marketing means listening for what people need, and creating something surprisingly tailored for them. Marketing means getting to know people, making a deeper connection, and keeping in touch. All of these are just considerate–looking at things from the other person’s point of view, and doing what’s best for them.”

Your marketing strategies will be different than another writer’s way of doing things. But here’s the principle you should always remember when it comes to sharing your work: People are not a means to an end—people ARE the end.

Everything you do should be focused on making great work for people and then sharing it in a way that brings joy to you and them. 

If you’re not ultimately writing for people, what else is it for?